At No. 18, Chargers pick off sliding Melvin Ingram

Posted by Evan Silva on April 26, 2012, 9:56 PM EST

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The San Diego Chargers spent the past several days trying to work a trade up for Alabama safety Mark Barron. But it never happened, and the Bolts stood pat at No. 18, using the pick on South Carolina pass rusher Melvin Ingram.

Projected as a likely top-ten pick during January’s Senior Bowl, Ingram slipped in the draft due to concerns with his short arms and stocky body. He’s not the prototype pass rusher at shy of 6-foot-2, but Ingram was highly productive in the SEC. He led the Gamecocks in sacks (10) and tackles for loss (15) while earning first-team All-American honors alongside Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus.

Teams were genuinely concerned about where to play Ingram. He played all over the formation at South Carolina. In San Diego, Ingram’s likeliest position is outside linebacker on passing downs. He can also wreak havoc with his hand in the dirt, and got much of his college production as a defensive tackle on the interior line.